Safety boot binding for skis with two-stage recocking

ABSTRACT

A rear safety boot binding for skis with two-stage recocking requiring much less effort for recocking the binding. The boot heel retaining jaw has a slot accommodating a shaft and a spring abutting against the shaft and the end of the slot. The jaw forms a cam profile in its portion opposed to the boot heel receiving portion with a notch for receiving a stud or the like carried by a lever pivoted on the binding base, a spring constantly urging the stud in contact with the cam profile and being the spring of the safety locking mechanism. When the stud engages the notch, the jaw pivots upwardly about said stud as a first center of rotation and causes compression of the first-named spring, thereby allowing raising of the boot heel up to a certain limit, this constituting the elastic play of the jaw. Upon additional raising of the boot heel, the first-named spring is completely compressed and the jaw pivots about the shaft, causing the safety locking mechanism to release the jaw, thereby resulting in the safety opening of the binding. During this release, the spring of the safety locking mechanism is compressed, thereby constituting the first recocking stage of the binding, while the second recocking stage occurs during downward closing movement of the jaw when a sector-shaped member causes upward movement of the jaw with consequent compression of the first-named spring.

United States Patent Salomon [54] SAFETY BOOT BINDING FOR SKIS WITH TWO-STAGE RECOCKING Georges P. J. Salomon, 34 de Loverchy Avenue, 74 Annecy, France 22 Filed: Dec.'l5, 1969 21 Appl.No.: 885,304

[72] Inventor:

[30] I Foreign Application Priority Data Primary Examiner-Benjamin Hersh Assistant Examiner-Robert R. Song AnOrney -Pierre Lesperance [451 Oct, 10,1972

[57] ABSTRACT A rear safety boot binding for skis with two-stage recocking requiring much less effort for recocking the binding. The boot heel retaining jaw has a slot accommodating a shaft and a spring abutting against the shaft and the end of the slot. The jaw forms a cam profile in its portion opposed to the boot heel receiving portion with a notch for receiving a stud or the like carried by a lever pivoted on the binding base, a spring constantly urging the stud in contact with the cam profile and being the spring of the safety locking mechanism. When the stud engages the notch, the jaw pivots upwardly about said stud as a first center of rotation and causes compression of the first-named spring, thereby allowing raising of the boot heel up to a certain limit, this constituting the elastic play of the jaw. Upon additional raising of the boot heel, the firstnamed spring is completely compressed and the jaw pivots about the shaft, causing the safety locking mechanism to release the jaw, thereby resulting in the safety opening of the binding. During this release, the spring of the safety locking mechanism is compressed, thereby constituting the first recocking stage of the binding, while the second recocking stage occurs during downward closing movement of the jaw when a sector-shaped member causes upward movement of the jaw with consequent compression of the firstnamed spring.

10 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDum 10 m2 SHEET 2 [IF 3 n G F 1N VENTOR. Georges P.J.SAL0M0N QM A MT PATENTEDHBT 10 1 3.697. 094

SHEET 3 OF 3 FIG-7 INVENTOR. Be rges PJ. SA LQMON BY QM A Q HT SAFETY BOOT BINDING FOR SKIS WITH TWO- STAGE RECOCKING It is known to provide rear safety boot bindings for skis characterized by a safety locking system and by an elastic play system in which the elastic means must be, after opening of the binding, put back under tension prior to closing of the binding. This tensioning of the spring means, which is necessary for recocking the safety binding, is effected in one stage, either manually by a particular manipulation preceding boot release, or with the foot during boot clamping, and thus requires a very important effort, even for a skier of average strength.

Moreover, these known bindings do not provide for accumulation of snow or ice under the boot heel, this snow or ice causing, for example, the binding to become out of adjustment or preventing its closing.

The present invention has for its general object to overcome the above disadvantages in a simple and efficient manner.

In accordance with the invention as applied to a rear safety binding for skis, the necessary effort to place under tension the elastic means of the locking and elastic play systems of the binding, is exerted in two stages independently of the fact that the boot release is intentional or accidental, the recocking of the binding always comprising a first phase effected at boot release and a second phase effected at boot clamping; the position of the mechanism, when the binding is open, is always the same whether the boot release was intentional or accidental. Thus, in the case of accidental boot release, the two stages of the recocking are obtained with the foot, one stage at the moment of the fall of the skier and the other stage upon boot clamping, whereas in the case of intentional boot release, the first binding recocking stage is obtained manually at boot release and the second stage is obtained with the foot during boot clamping, in the same manner as the second recocking stage effected following accidental boot release.

The rear safety boot binding for skis with two-stage recocking in accordance with the invention consists, in accordance with a preferred embodiment, of a boot heel retaining jaw provided at its portion opposite that receiving the boot heel with a cam profile having a notch adapted to receive a ball or the like stud mounted within the binding housing and carried by a lever pivotally mounted in the housing, a spring being disposed between the housing and the lever and constantly urging the stud into contact with the cam profile, this spring being the spring of the locking mechanism of the safety binding. The center of the ball or the like stud, when engaging the notch, determines the first center of rotation of the jaw during its elastic pivotal movement, the latter being obtained under the action of a spring located in a slot made in the jaw intermediate the boot heel receiving portion and the opposite cam profile portion, said last-named spring being It is obvious that the rear safety boot binding for ski with two-stage recocking in accordance with the invention can incorporate mechanisms in which the locking will be effected through the intermediary of a spring disposed between a stationary part and a movable part or between two movable parts, and in which the elastic play could be obtained by the location of a spring between a stationary part and a movable part of between two movable parts.

The invention will become clearer by referring to the following description and to the annexed drawings, which show preferred embodiments in a non-limitative manner. In the drawings:

FIG. graph, shows, in Cartesian coordinates, the graph of the effort of each of the springs used in the binding of the invention as a function of time, in the case of accidental boot release, one graph, in dotted lines, being the effort of the spring of the elastic system and the other graph, in dot-and-dash lines, being the effort of the spring of the locking system;

FIG. 2 shows, in Cartesian coordinates, the graph of the effort of each of the springs used in the binding, in the case of intentional boot release;

FIG. 3 shows, in longitudinal section, the rear safety boot binding for ski with two-stage recocking in accordance with the invention in closed locked position, for skiing;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section of the binding in the position resulting from the transmission by the boot heel to the jaw of a relatively small force resulting in elastic play of the binding;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section of the binding at the moment of safety release produced by a large force transmitted by the boot heel to the boot heel retaining J FIG. 6 is a longitudinal section of the binding in open position obtained after safety release or intentional boot release; and

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of another embodiment showing a known rear safety boot binding incorporating a system in accordance with the invention allowing two-stage recocking.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the abscissa axis x is a time axis, for example in seconds, said axis being doubled with two origin points 0 in order to clarify the diagram, whereas the ordinate axis y expresses the spring efforts. Letter 0 represents the points of origin of the axes. Moreover, in the following description, concerning FIGS. 1 and 2, the letter E indicates the efforts of the spring of the elastic system and the letter V indicates the efforts of the spring of the safety locking system.

In FIG. 1, for accidental boot release, time 1 corresponds to the locked position of the binding springs; E and V are in unstressed condition for values 13 and 11 respectively. During time 2, spring E is compressed passing from value 13 to value 17, while spring V remains unstressed at value 1 1 and it is only after spring E has reached maximum compression that spring V can start to compress and to pass from value 11 to value 12 during time 3. Once at value 12, which enables unlocking, spring V remains in constant compression during time 4 and spring E decompresses from value 17 to value 13. During time 5, which corresponds to the time of rest of the binding in open position, spring E is at its minimum compression value 13, while spring V is at its maximum compression value 12; in this position, the first stage of recocking of the safety binding has been obtained.

Boot clamping is therefore effected, starting from time 6, and must allow the second stage of the safety binding recocking. In time 6, during boot clamping, spring V remains compressed but spring E is compressed to maximum value 17 where it remains during time 7 with spring V remaining fully compressed at value 12 (This time 7 may eventually become nul).

During time 8, spring E, which is compressed to value 17, allows, during the continuation of the boot clamping, to decompress spring V down to value 11 which is followed by time 9 during which spring V is decompressed to value 11 and spring E decompresses down to value 13. The following time corresponds, as far as the spring effort values are concerned, to the rest time I mentioned hereinabove.

It should be noted that there is reversibility of the graphs between phases 20 and 21; in fact, the compression of each spring must again go through its maximum value.

In FIG. 2, for intentional boot release and because the open rest position of the safety binding must allow to have spring E decompressed to value 13 and spring V compressed to value 12, it suffices to manually act on spring V to compress the latter to value 12, allowing unlocking without acting on the decompression of spring E. Thus, during time 1 the binding is closed; springs E and V are decompressed to their respective values 13 and 11; and during time 15 spring V is manually compressed to value 12, spring E remaining umcompressed, thereby effecting the first recocking phase of the binding; and time 16 is arrived at, which corresponds to the rest position of the binding.

Times 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 correspond to the second recocking stage of the binding, previously described in connection with F IG. 1.

The position of the binding shown in FIG. 3 corresponds to the position of time 1 in FIGS. 1 and 2; the boot heel 26 is maintained on the ski by means of a boot heel retaining projection 27 of a jaw 25, which is locked after its rotation about a shaft 34, fast to a binding base or housing 35, by means of a stud 28 which engages a notch 31 of the jaw 25 under the action of a compression spring 29 acting on a lever 30 pivoted on base 35 and carrying the stud 28.

A screw 32, threaded within the base 35, engages the other end of the spring 29 and serves to adjust the force exerted by said spring. For intentional boot release, a pressure is exerted on lever 30, by the hand or by the tip of a ski pole; the lever thus takes the position shown in dotted line at 36, thereby compressing spring 29 (time 15 in FIG. 2), thus allowing stud 28 to move out of notch 31, whereby jaw 25 is released for free rotation about shaft 34. During this rotation, the jaw 25 causes pivoting of sector-shaped pawl 44 against the action of its return spring 45, whereby the pawl 44 disengages the recessed portion or step 46 of jaw 25. After pivoting of the jaw, pawl 44 comes to rest against the cam edge portion 47 of jaw 25 under action of return spring 45.

In the position of the binding shown in FIG. 4, which corresponds to time 2 of FIG. 1, the relatively low force exerted by the boot heel 26 in the direction of arrow 39 on the jaw 25, causes pivoting of jaw 25 about its first axis of rotation 41 formed by stud 28 carried by lever 30 and engaging notch 31 under action of spring 29. During this rotational movement, a spring 42, disposed in a slot 43 of jaw 25 and therefore the boot heel 26, in the position described in FIG. 3 when the force exerted in the direction of arrow 39 ceases. During this elastic play of the jaw, sector-shaped pawl 44 which is held against the jaw 25 by spring 45, does not disengage recess or step 46.

In Hg. 5, the binding is in a position corresponding to time 3 of FIG. 1. The greater force transmitted in the direction of arrow 48 causes maximum compression of spring 42 until this spring forms a rigid stop, for example its spirals becoming contiguous, whereby shaft 34 becomes the second pivoting axis of jaw 25, about which said jaw tends to turn under action of the torque exerted by force 48. The jaw forces stud 28 out of engagement with notch 31 and compresses spring 29, while sector-shaped pawl 44 escapes from step 46 to then come into contact with cam edge 47 under the action of spring 45. During rotation of jaw 25 about shaft 34, spring 29 remains under constant compression maintained by cam profile 50.

In the position of FIG. 6, which corresponds to time 5 of FIG. 1, the binding is open; spring 29 is prestressed and spring 42 is unstressed. To return to the closed or boot clamping position described in FIG. 3, it is necessary to pass again through the temporary position described in FIG. 5 and corresponding to time 6 in FIGS. 1 and 2 with spring 42 compressed and making shaft 34 as the axis of rotation of the jaw 25, which then rotates in the direction of arrow 54. During this rotation, sector-shaped pawl 44, which bears against the base 35, exerts reaction 55 on the jaw edge 47, reaction which produces raising of slot 42 and therefore compression of spring 42.

In FIG. 7, a known safety binding is provided with the two-stage recocking system of the invention. This binding is shown in open position. To obtain this position, it is necessary to press with the hand or by means of the tip of a ski pole on a catch lever 88 pivoting about a shaft 91. Thus, the lock formed by steps 89 and 90 of jaw body 94 and pawl lever 88 respectively is released. During this movement, spring 87 is compressed and jaw 94 pivots about its shaft 96 carried by body 85. This rotation causes rotation of sector-shaped pawl 93 which escapes from step 92 of jaw 94 and comes to bear against cam profile 98 of said jaw under the action of its return spring 100.

For boot clamping, the boot heel is pressed down on jaw treadle 99, which pivots about pawl 93 as a fulcrum, therefore raising shaft 96 and compressing spring 84 while causing the catch formed by steps 89 and 90 tained by the intermediary of a spring disposed between two movable parts, or in which the lock system is obtained by the intermediary of a spring disposed between two movable parts with the elastic system obtained by the intermediary of a spring disposed between a fixed part and a movable part.

What I claim is:

1. A rear safety boot binding for skis comprising a base adapted to be secured to a ski, a boot heel engaging jaw rotatably mounted on said base for vertical movement between closed boot heel clamping position and open boot heel releasing position, said jaw having a boot engaging front portion and a first cam profile with a notch at its back portion, a lever pivoted on said base, a lever spring urging said lever towards said jaw back portion, a stud carried by said lever and engageable with said notch, said lever having a portion accessible exteriorly of said binding, whereby pressure exerted on said portion in one direction will cause compression of the lever spring and release of said stud from engagement with said notch, said cam profile, when said jaw is rotated with said notch out of register with said plunger, engaging said stud and maintaining said lever spring in compressed condition, said jaw having an elongated slot nearly vertical and located intermediate its front portion and its cam profile back portion, a horizontal shaft carried by said base extending through said slot, a second spring disposed within said slot underneath said shaft and abutting said shaft and the lower end of said slot to urge said jaw downwardly relative to said base, a spring-urged pawl carried by said base underneath said jaw, said jaw having a bottom lower portion forming a step and second cam profile extending from said step towards said notch, said cam profile progressively approaching said slot in a direction towards said notch, said pawl engaging said step in the closed position of said jaw, thereby releasing said second spring, upward movement of the front portion of said jaw causing rotation of the latter about a center of rotation defined by the stud engaging said notch and thereby causing compression of said second spring, and further upward movement of said jaw front portion causing maximum compression of said second spring, release of said pawl from engagement with said step, rotation of said jaw about said shaft, release of said stud from said notch and riding of said stud on said first cam profile to maintain the lever spring in compressed condition, and riding of said pawl on said second cam profile to allow decompression of said second spring.

2. A rear safety binding as claimed in claim 1, further including means to adjust the pressure exerted by said lever spring.

3. A safety boot binding for skis comprising a base structure adapted to be secured to a ski, a jaw articulated relative to said base structure and having a front portion adapted to cooperate with a booth sole, said jaw capable of vertical displacement between closed and open positions, a jaw safety locking member mounted on said base structure at the back of said jaw and spring urged towards said jaw, said jaw having a locking profile facing rearwardly of said jaw and cooperating with said locking member, whereby said locking member can lock said jaw in closed position, an

e1 tic member actin bet ee a art which is fi d to sai c l base structure a nd s d jawPand urging saiif jaw towards said base structure in an elastic vertical limited movement of said jaw, a jaw guiding member mounted on said base structure below said jaw, said jaw having a bottom portion defining a cam profile cooperating with said jaw guiding member to cause guiding of said jaw, with compression and then release of said elastic member during safety release of the jaw and during boot clamping.

4. A binding as claimed in claim 3, wherein said cam prbfile has a step in which said guiding member becomes located when said jaw is in closed position.

5. A binding as claimed in claim 4, further including a spring urging said guiding member into a protruding position towards said jaw cam profile.

6. A binding as claimed in claim 5, wherein a spring urges said guiding member into said cam profile step in the closed position of the jaw and in contact with said cam profile in the positions of said jaw others than said closed position.

7. A binding as claimed in claim 3, in which said guiding member is pivoted on said base structure for pivotal movement in a vertical plane.

' 8. A binding as claimed in claim 3, wherein said jaw has a slot and said part is a shaft secured to said base structure and extending through said slot, said elastic member being a spring disposed within said slot between one end thereof and said shaft.

9. A binding as claimed in claim 3, further including an intermediate member pivoted to said base structure, said jaw being in turn pivoted on said intermediate member, said elastic member being an elastic assembly interposed between said intermediate member and said part fixed to said base structure to enable elastic movement of both said intermediate member and of said jaw.

10. A binding as claimed in claim 3, further including a lever for intentional boot release associated with said jaw safety locking member. 

1. A rear safety boot binding for skis comprising a base adapted to be secured to a ski, a boot heel engaging jaw rotatably mounted on said base for vertical movement between closed boot heel clamping position and open boot heel releasing position, said jaw having a boot engaging front portion and a first cam profile with a notch at its back portion, a lever pivoted on said base, a lever spring urging said lever towards said jaw back portion, a stud carried by said lever and engageable with said notch, said lever having a portion accessible exteriorly of said binding, whereby pressure exerted on said portion in one direction will cause compression of the lever spring and release of said stud from engagement with said notch, said cam profile, when said jaw is rotated with said notch out of register with said plunger, engaging said stud and maintaining said lever spring in compressed condition, said jaw having an elongated slot nearly vertical and located intermediate its front portion and its cam profile back portion, a horizontal shaft carried by said base extending through said slot, a second spring disposed within said slot underneath said shaft and abutting said shaft and the lower end of said slot to urge said jaw downwardly relative to said base, a spring-urged pawl carried by said base underneath said jaw, said jaw having a bottom lower portion forming a step and second cam profile extending from said step towards said notch, said cam profile progressively approaching said slot in a direction towards said notch, said pawl engaging said step in the closed position of said jaw, thereby releasing said second spring, upward movement of the front portion of said jaw causing rotation of the latter about a center of rotation defined by the stud engaging said notch and thereby causing compression of said second spring, and further upward movement of said jaw front portion causing maximum compression of said second spring, release of said pawl from engagement with said step, rotation of said jaw about said shaft, release of said stud from said notch and riding of said stud on said first cam profile to maintain the lever spring in compressed condition, and riding of said pawl on said second cam profile to allow decompression of said second spring.
 2. A rear safety binding as claimed in claim 1, further including means to adjust the pressure exerted by said lever spring.
 3. A safety boot binding for skis comprising a base structure adapted to be secured to a ski, a jaw articulated relative to said base structure and having a front portion adapted to cooperate with a booth sole, said jaw capable of vertical displacement between closed and open positions, a jaw safety locking member mounted on said base structure at the back of said jaw and spring urged towards said jaw, said jaw having a locking profile facing rearwardly of said jaw and cooperating with said locking member, whereby said locking member can lock said jaw in closed position, an elastic member acting between a part which is fixed to said base structure and said jaw, and urging said jaw towards said base structure in an elastic vertical limited movement of said jaw, a jaw guiding member mounted on said base structure below said jaw, said jaw having a bottom portion defining a cam profile cooperating with said jaw guiding member to cause guiding of said jaw, with compression and then release of said elastic member during safety release of the jaw and during boot clamping.
 4. A binding as claimed in claim 3, wherein said cam profile has a step in which said guiding member becomes located when said jaw is in closed position.
 5. A binding as claimed in claim 4, further including a spring urging said guiding member into a protruding position towards said jaw cam profile.
 6. A binding as claimed in claim 5, wherein a spring urges said guiding member into said cam profile step in the closed position of the jaw and in contact with said cam profile in the positions of said jaw others than said closed position.
 7. A binding as claimed in claim 3, in which said guiding member is pivoted on said base structure for pivotal movement in a vertical plane.
 8. A binding as claimed in claim 3, wherein said jaw has a slot and said part is a shaft secured to said base structure and extending through said slot, said elastic member being a spring disposed within said slot between one end thereof and said shaft.
 9. A binding as claimed in claim 3, further including an intermeDiate member pivoted to said base structure, said jaw being in turn pivoted on said intermediate member, said elastic member being an elastic assembly interposed between said intermediate member and said part fixed to said base structure to enable elastic movement of both said intermediate member and of said jaw.
 10. A binding as claimed in claim 3, further including a lever for intentional boot release associated with said jaw safety locking member. 